Introducing my Human Ranger Damara, who is, fun fact that I never got around to expounding on, half ethnic-Krytan from her dad and half Elonan from her mom (not sure where in Elona yet, though I'm leaning towards Vabbi even though I haven't been there yet in-game and I don't remember what it was like in GW1). Contains snippets of the level 30 Human quests.

5: A Friend to All

"Wegaff? You wanted to see me?" Caoilfhionn said, cautiously sticking his head into Wegaff's lab. This was only the second time he'd been to Rata Sum, and he still found the Asura city as incomprehensible as the first time. At least they respected the natural world around them, allowing moss and ferns and vines to creep over unused stone surfaces, though it just contrasted more starkly with the enchanted glass and glowing holograms.

"That's right," Wegaff said, ushering him further into the lab with an expression of extreme glee. Caoilfhionn came forward and saw four containment cells, each holding an elemental: fire, ice, lightning, and earth. "I'm calling these G.U.E.N.s. Aren't they lovely?"

"Gwen?" Caoilfhionn echoed, admiring the graceful form of the fire elemental. "Like Gwynhyfar. That's a lovely name!"

"What? No. G – U – E – N, Glyphic Unstable Elemental eNtities," Wegaff said proudly. "I'm still tweaking the matrix parameters, but they'll never reach true stability. Still, it's a decent first result, and there's some incredible potential. Who hasn't dreamed of constructing a golem out of mere dirt, or whatever is at hand, in just a few seconds?"

"I… see." He didn't, but that was Wegaff all over. "My word, that is a lovely stone elemental."

"Is it? I assume you're talking about the physical aesthetic appeal again. Anyway, I've only run them through lab tests thus far, but I've been itching to take them out for a walk in Metrica. What do you say?"

"You know I can't possibly say no to that. But don't you think they each deserve a name of their own? Gwen is splendid, especially for the ice elemental, but the others…"

"I was going to call this one Mr. Sparkles," Wegaff said, pointing at the lightning elemental, "just to ruffle Zojja's feathers, but something's got her aggravated lately… more so than usual, that is, and I like my lab the way it is: intact. Forkk and Sporkk wanted to give them names as well, but between them they have less creative imagination than a sun-dazed Skritt. You Sylvari have a feel for language, don't you? Just make it sensible. Like… Plasma-based Hypodextralic Pseudoformation. But shorter."

Caoilfhionn laughed, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "You are aware I am a Sylvari."

"I know, I know. Just don't give me word salad."

"I shall try," Caoilfhionn said. "Short names, hmm? Bryn, for this earth elemental, perhaps?" He thought for a while, looking back and forth at all of them. "Perhaps it would come to me easier were I to see them act – they are so joyless, held as they are! Ah, but I have an even better name for the ice elemental: Eira. Dai, for the air elemental, and Tanwen for the fire elemental?"

Wegaff shrugged. "Better than Cauliflower – at least, if the spellings follow any common sense."

"I think you'll be pleased by that this time," Caoilfhionn said.

"Then… tell you what. If you can replicate them out in the field, I'll use your names in my thesis."

Caoilfhionn gasped a little. He'd never summoned a golem before, or even tried, and he had the feeling it was completely different from creating a leaf hound… but – "If they must otherwise be condemned to some awful Asuran name, then I must succeed for my honour."

Wegaff rolled his eyes.

Caoilfhionn was itching to see new lands these days, and Wegaff was eager to accompany him, so together they had been adventuring north and east, through the dangerous wilderness of the Kessex Hills, through the quieter wilderness of the Gendarran Fields, until they came to the great city of Lion's Arch. They'd been on the road for about three weeks, although they were not traveling quickly by any means. There was no rush to go anywhere, and Wegaff indulged Caoilfhionn in sticking his head into every grotto and pond, and helping every being who so much as suggested that they might want a hand with something. It was all very edifying.

Ah, but Lion's Arch! Caoilfhionn could not be still in this fascinating city for a moment – the rickety-looking buildings made whole-sale out of ships, or at least in the manner of ships, the canals threading under it all, the great fountain with the clockwork ships, the festival-like energy surging through the air, the noise of shouts and laughter and gulls crying. And yes, also the stench, the filth, the roughness… more than once a drunken Human or Charr got in his way, slurring uncouth things in his direction.

He actually only lasted an afternoon before he was back out in Gendarrea Fields, in the little village of Applenook. It was much more to his liking – Human enough to be exotic, yet clean and green and full of the scent of apple trees and corn. Wegaff had been reluctant to leave the city, his unflappable self-assurance carrying him through it all with aplomb, but he saw how overwhelmed his companion was becoming, and acquiesced with good nature.

They were heading back westward in the growing twilight when Wegaff's enormous ears pricked up. "I hear… undead."

"Where?" Caoilfhionn asked anxiously, drawing his dagger and focus.

"And fighting. Up yonder, south of the bridge."

And so they ran together, through the murky dusk, off the road and towards the beach on the river's curve, where there was the flash of steel and the report of pistols. Several Humans, Norn, and a couple Asura were engaged in battle with a small army of undead. Caoilfhionn jumped into the fray with a shout and a blast of icy water, as Wegaff unleashed a lightning bolt with his sceptre.

It wasn't until he'd heard his third "Yarrrr!" that he realized he was helping pirates. There was no way to know if they were friendly sailors from Lion's Arch, or mere brigands who had been driven out for unconscionable crimes. At any rate, no one deserved to become undead, did they?

When they had fallen, a Sylvari suddenly appeared beside Caoilfhionn, all in black, and whispered "Better not to get involved here, Valiant. Take your friend and move on." Before Caoilfhionn could respond, he had disappeared again. As he looked around to catch a glimpse of his mysterious brother, one of the humans stepped forward. "Ya with the other new folks lookin' to join up with us?"

"No, good sir, we are only travellers passing through," Caoilfhionn said, before Wegaff elbowed him aside.

"You're talking too fancy for them, Cael. We're not lookin' to join anyone."

"Actually, I understood your leafy friend there well 'nough, but we'll leave it at that then. The crew o' the Ravenous don't need any more – though I might be makin' an exception for you two," he said, turning to a Human and an Asura.

"Then we'll be on our way," Caoilfhionn said, bowing. "Best of luck!" He got the sense of danger from them, and had no intention of staying around or offending them.

Wegaff was slow to depart, and Caoilfhionn nearly reached down to drag him back to the road, but his friend gave him a considering look and spoke in a low voice. "There's something off here, don't you think?"

"Absolutely, and that Sylvari told me not to get involved. I think we should heed his advice," Caoilfhionn said in kind.

Wegaff finally began to follow him away, but at a slower pace than he would have liked, gesturing at the fallen undead as he went. "Well, I'm curious where those Risen came from, and why they went for a few stranded pirates like progeny in a candy store. Also, I think I've seen that Asura, back in Rata Sum. Meaning that either some experiment went horribly wrong, or something far more sinister. Come, let's hide under that bridge, and see what happens."

"You want to spy on them?" Caoilfhionn asked, appalled.

"What, you think it's 'dishonourable'? You pull hoodwinks on your enemies all the time!"

"Yes! That's being daring. This is hardly daring at all."

"It's called field observation, and you're not supposed to disturb your subject of study."

And so he reluctantly followed Wegaff as the Asura made his way over to the Lionbridge. There was a Human under the bridge, one who looked suspiciously at them over a drawn blade. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Er… Curiosity?" Caoilfhionn said honestly, hoping that would be enough. This was ten times as suspicious as what the Sylvari had said to him, but now he wanted to find out what was going on. If there was something wicked here, it was his duty to stop it! "Who are you?"

"There is nothing for you to see here," said the man. "Just move along."

Wegaff frowned and folded his arms. "This bridge is property of Lion's Arch, and you're no Lionguard."

"I'm not, but if I told you who I'm with, I'd have to kill you." There was something chilling about how the Human said it so casually.

Caoilfhionn drew his dagger, but behind them, the water in the stream crystallized into large blocks of ice, which rose up to stand in a humanoid formation as tall as a Norn. Wegaff gave the shocked man a toothy grin. "Perhaps you'd like to introduce yourself to G.U.E.N. here instead?"

"Wegaff!" Caoilfhionn cried.

"What? This man smells fishier than Dawnside Quay on a hot day."

"I concur, but her name is Eira."

Wegaff huffed at the correction. "Told you I wouldn't remember them."

The man eyed the looming elemental with apprehension. "All right, remain calm. My name is Ihan. I'm waiting for my associates. If you want answers, you'll have to ask the Envoy-"

Crash! A well-aimed arrow pierced the golem's neck and it exploded into fragments of ice, raining down on them. Caoilfhionn turned, sidestepping as not to lose sight of the Human, turning to see two figures approaching – a Human woman with a bow, and an Asura with an axe and a dark aura about her that coalesced into several skittering figures. The same as they'd seen before with the pirates! "Get away from him!" called the Human woman.

And then something pounced on Wegaff, something that snarled. Wegaff yelled, holding his sceptre before him as a shield, but he was knocked into the shallows on his back, the lithe quadrupedal form pinning him to the ground.

The Sylvari from before materialized silently from the shadows. "I told you to leave."

Caoilfhionn looked around at them all. Suddenly the odds had turned drastically against them – but… "What is it you do here?"

"I think you should be telling us what you're doing here first," said the Asura, pointing her axe at him. "Unless you really think you can take us all on."

Caithe could have taken them on, but he was not Caithe – not yet. "Very well." He sheathed his dagger and stood up straight, bowing politely. "My name is Caoilfhionn, Valiant of the Wyld Hunt, and my companion Wegaff and I were traveling back to our respective homelands when we heard the fight with the undead. I'm afraid your warning rather did the opposite of what you intended, and made us more curious – but if you are doing something wicked, I shall fight you."

The other Sylvari chuckled, a gravelly sound. "Haven't been out of the pod long, have you?"

"Long enough," Caoilfhionn said, watching them all still.

"If you think you're going to get anything besides an arrow to the face-" began the Asura.

The Human woman put up her bow. "Is he telling the truth?"

"He is," said the Sylvari. "This Valiant, like so many of them, cannot tell a lie to save his life." Caoilfhionn wondered if he should be indignant or proud of that.

"Then they're harmless to us," said the woman, and smiled. "Caoilfhionn, was it?"

"Well, if you're not going to murder us and dump our bodies in the river, mind letting me up?" Wegaff called with a strained voice.

"Let him up, Velvet, there's a good girl." The jungle stalker pinning Wegaff to the muddy stones immediately left him and trotted back to the woman's side; the woman reached down to pet it. Wegaff bounced to his feet and went to stand closer to Caoilfhionn, shaking water from his sleeves and grumbling nervously.

"Envoy, is it truly wise to tell them anything?" the man named Ihan asked.

"I think so," the woman said. "A Valiant is like a… well… like Captain Thackeray, right?"

"That's apt," the Sylvari said.

"Then I trust him. The Asura…"

"I'll vouch for my friend," Caoilfhionn said. He wouldn't even tell them that it had been Wegaff's idea to nose about in the first place. "He fights for truth as I do."

"That's one way to put it," Wegaff muttered, and shut up when everyone looked at him.

"I am Damara Biros," said the woman. "I'm Queen Jenna's Envoy to the Orders of Tyria. And my companions are…"

The Sylvari bowed. "I am Mabbran, Agent of Whispers, and my associate, Phiadi."

"Excuse you, you are my associate," the Asura snapped, her little nose in the air. "Also, I'm sure the Asura knows me, I'm the Snaff Savant this year."

"Eh, I never pay attention to that," Wegaff said, waving a hand dismissively. "I didn't even enter."

"What!?" shrieked Phiadi, her minions scuttling in agitation around her. "How can you- I oughtta-"

"He meant no offense, I'm sure," Caoilfhionn said, stepping in hastily before the small necromancer could attack. "I beg your pardon, but what is the Order of… Whispers?"

"Not for you to know about," Ihan said.

"Well… Ihan's probably right," Damara said. "But I'll tell you what we were doing here, since that's what you wanted to know – we were infiltrating those pirates to learn the whereabouts of a potential security risk to the Krytan monarchy."

"Ah, so that attack must have been staged," Wegaff said. "Gain their trust through the heat of battle."

"Exactly," Phiadi said, still glaring at him. "Can't believe you don't follow the Snaff Prize… our translocater was revolutionary…"

"Do you require any further assistance?" Caoilfhionn said. "I know little of Humans, but if the Queen of Kryta is in danger, I'll gladly aid you."

Damara nodded. "If you have nowhere urgent to be, I'd gladly welcome the help. Can't have too many hands for this one." Agent Ihan looked exasperated, but Agent Mabbran nodded in agreement.

And that was how Caoilffhion ended up working for Queen Jennah and Captain Logan Thackeray for a week. It was exciting, for of course Caoilfhionn knew by now how Captain Thackeray had been in Destiny's Edge with Caithe! He ended up liking him a great deal. Damara as well, despite the awkwardness of their initial meeting. Phiadi and Mabbran he saw less of, though they were still frequently present as well. Phiadi and Wegaff would never get along, it seemed. Wegaff recognized her from Rata Sum, if not from the competition she had won, but refused to admit it because "It's funnier to watch her fume about it."

And Divinity's Reach was a most glorious city, almost as beautiful as the Grove in a completely different way, far less natural and humid. It was brightly coloured, with banners and pennants everywhere, and at least there were many flower boxes in windows and tiny little gardens all over the city. The towers were great fun to climb and see the view from, and the feeling of sunny, down to earth activity that pervaded the city was a little intoxicating. Even its flaws, when Phiadi or Damara pointed them out to him, could not lessen his opinion of it. Humans came in as many varieties as Sylvari, it seemed! Despite the serious nature of his mission here, it still felt like a holiday to him.

They did save the Queen, in the end. How Kellach managed to summon that many undead in the throne room, Caoilfhionn could not hope to understand, but they froze just the same as they did outside. He forebore to use fire or earth, to avoid damaging the beautiful hall; between Damara's arrows and Phiadi's own small army of minions, and the Seraph guard and Vigil soldiers, Kellach's assassination attempt was over nearly before it began.

The Queen thanked him and sent him on his way, loaded with a generous reward and gracious compliments. What a lovely adventure it had been!